Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a worldwide epidemic. The number of cases across North America continues to increase at an alarming rate. Due to several misconceptions surrounding the truth of this debilitating illness it is often overlooked by the general public and viewed as nonexistent.
IT DOES EXIST.
Everyone is potentially at risk for contracting the toxic bacteria which is spread to humans through an infected tick bite. This infectious disease is progressive and destructive. If left untreated it can be fatal. The complexity of the disease presents doctors with the challenge of identifying the pathogenesis and properly diagnosing a patient. The prevalence of the disease is significantly higher than the number of cases reported by health officials.
There are over 100 symptoms and no two patients will have the exact same ones.
The first classic symptom is a skin rash at the site of the bite called erythema migrans (EM) SEE ABOVE.
The rash will emerge as a round red ring with a central clearing resembling the appearance of a “bull’s-eye”. Even though EM is a distinct sign of Lyme disease, not all patients experience this symptom. In fact, more than over 50% of people diagnosed do not recall a rash or bite.
Additional early symptoms include persistent headaches, neck aches, fatigue, sore throat, fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes. As the bacterium spreads throughout the body symptoms become grave. Severe muscle, joint, and tendon pain is common as well as pain in the teeth and jaw. Vision changes, hearing loss, heart palpitations, seizures and paralysis can occur. Facial nerves can also be affected; resulting in Bell’s palsy. Neurological involvement may cause muscle twitching, shooting pains, burning sensations, numbness, and short-term memory loss. Psychiatric symptoms include panic attacks, anxiety, and depression.
Lyme disease can mimic over 350 disorders and is referred to as “the great imitator”. More often than not, patients are misdiagnosed with conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS/ Lou Gehrig’s disease), and Crohn’s disease; among numerous others. In many circumstances a Lyme patient does not receive the correct diagnosis until months or years after suffering with the illness; causing detrimental and irreversible damage.
Lyme disease remains one of the most controversial topics within the medical community today.
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